KING IN THE MOUNTAIN

Northeastern PA

The King In The Mountain, or sleeping hero, is a prominent figure in folklore and mythology. The king sleeps in the mountain surrounded by treasure until he is called upon to defend his nation. The Quinnipiac Indians believed a similar figure lived in a mountain, though his awakening was said to be the end of the world.

For years anthracite coal was the king in the mountain. When it was discovered in northeast Pennsylvania, anthracite, also known as hard coal, became the base of America’s Industrial Revolution. Responsible for the country’s infrastructure, anthracite created a demand for immigrant workers (new Americans), and powered entire towns. But as alternate fossil fuels came into use, the need for hard coal dwindled. Many companies abandoned their mines, businesses closed, and families moved to other areas to find work, leaving Pennsylvania’s once-thriving anthracite economy in dire straits.

Today many people still live in the region, even as coal fires burn underneath their homes. Other families stay in towns affected by the previous mining industry which not only abandoned the mines, but also left behind polluted waterways, unsteady earth, and piles of waste coal as far as the eye can see. For these families living in the coal region means embracing the proud legacy of the area and its significance to our country. To them the cost of America’s success lives on in the forgotten coal region of northeastern Pennsylvania.